Introduction to Psych + Aims and Hypotheses

• what are theories?

  ideas
• what is research?

  methodology (systematic)
• how do we know these psychological phenomena occur?

  • unique cases
  • observations
  • interviews
  • questionnaires
• what are demand characteristics?

  p’s aware they’re being observed so change their answers.
• what is psychology?

  scientific study of the human mind and its functions, especially those affecting behaviour.
• what is an aim?

  intention of the study, what a researcher wants to achieve NOT how it will be achieved.

  • establishing a clear aim helps a researcher to make decisions about what they want to study.
• what is a hypothesis?

  a precise/testable statement about a difference or relationship between variables.

  • this must be testable (operationalised).
• what is cause and effect?

  difference
• what is correlation?

  relationship
• what is a research hypothesis?

  prediction of an association between two variables.
• what is a variable?

  anything measurable which can change.
• what is an IV?

  the variable which is predicted will have an experimental effect on the DV. this is manipulated.
• what is the DV?

  the variable being measured to assess if the IV has had an impact on it.
• what does it mean to operationalise?

  to have a clear set of criteria describing how something will be set up, assured or measured.

  • includes both conditions of the IV.
• what is a null hypothesis?

  predicts no sig. difference or relationship.
• what is a one-tailed hypothesis?

  makes a specific prediction of the direction of the experimental effect.

  • the IV will cause the DV to increase.

  OR

  • the IV will cause the DV to decrease.
• what is a two-tailed hypothesis?

  • doesn’t make a specific prediction of the direction of the experimental effect.
  • when your null becomes you main prediction, your alternative is what you will accept if your prediction is not found.
• how to write a directional/one-tailed hypothesis?

  • there will be a significantly (higher/lower) (operationalised DV) for p’s in (condition 1 of IV) compared to p’s in (condition 2 of the IV).
• how to write a non-directional/two tailed hypothesis?

  there will be a sig. difference in (operationalised DV) for p’s in (condition 1 of IV) compared to p’s in (condition 2 of IV).
• what is an experimental design?

  • used in an experiment only.
  • it’s how you place your p’s into the different conditions of your exp.
• why is a hypothesis different to an aim?

  hypothesis is a statement about a difference or relationship between variables.
• you will need to write a hypotheses in 2 diff types of study. one that looks for a difference (exps, self-reports and observation) or one that looks for a relationship (correlation). you will often have 3 mark q’s in the exam where you have to write a hypothesis. how do you get the marks?

  1. identifying direction
  2. operationalising IV & DV
  3. identifying if there’s a difference or a relationship.
• why do we use a null hypothesis?

  it can inform the user whether the results obtained are due to chance or manipulating a phenomenon (no relationship).
• when do we choose a directional hypothesis?

  when previous research suggests that the findings of a study will go in a particular direction.
• when do we choose a NON-directional hypothesis?

  when you are not sure of the direction of the relationship.